Crescendo Exquisite Food & Fine Wines

Sep 25th, 2021

Aug 27th, 2021

It had been several years since I had been there. Great menu, Great food and Great service. Well worth the drive from Clear Lake, IA!
Jul 29th, 2021

The only real fine dining option in Albert Lea. Intimate and classy but you don’t have to be super fancy or dressed up to go here. It’s not somewhere I’d want to bring my kids but they won’t turn up their nose at them, quite the opposite! I just like keeping it quiet and special. Ideal for an anniversary celebration dinner or the like.
Jul 15th, 2021

Wow! We were VERY pleasantly surprised to find such a gem in small-ish town Minnesota! The musical theme of the restaurant resonates throughout and works perfectly. The menu was superb and seasonal, and the wine list was quite extensive (and reasonably priced). We shared the crab cakes (excellent and made of pure lump crab) and sweet corn fritters (just the right amount of spice!) to start. I had the summer lobster and sweet corn saute with a ginger vinaigrette - an unexpected flavor combination but out of this world! My husband had the wild mushroom ravioli which was also lovely. Our friend had the filet and honestly declared it one of the best steaks she'd ever had. We finished up with the chiffon cake with lemon curd (very light and summery with lots of fresh lemon flavor) and the chocolate lava cake (excellent and dark chocolate-y). Our server was very friendly and professional, paying us just the right amount of attention. The star of the show was the talented Chef Bob, though! In addition to the wonderful food he created, he came out at the end of the night to play several classical and baroque songs for the remaining guests on the grand piano. We had thought the player piano providing the background music during our first two courses was great, but his performance was the perfect dessert accompaniment! If you're heading through Albert Lea on I90 or 35 on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, you definitely should stop. Really, even if it's out of your way, Crescendo is worth a trip!
Aug 8th, 2021